Getting Closer!

Scott and Ronan putting in the water

Every day we take another step forward. 

The Electricity and Water are almost done. Once we get that in then the guys are going to come back and install all the sheetrock. It's very exciting.

But it's also very time consuming.:o)

I had no idea that construction could eat so much of your time....I mean, it's not like I'M doing any of it. But it has. Heading back and forth to get supplies, figuring out where I need things to go. Sheesh, I think I dream about the building...lol.

We did get back on our schooling track today. So I'm hopeful that things are coming to our new normal.

Soon, soon......I hope soon, we'll be in business.:o)

 

Real Food

Raw Milk from our Goats and Eggs from our Chickens

I can't begin to describe how wonderful it feels to feed my family and not have to worry about it. It is such a FREE feeling.:o)

I love watching my chickens search for food. Hunting up insects and bits. I also like watching them run to me when I hollar "Chick, chick, chick......Here chick, chick, chick." They know that when I'm yelling there will be fresh grain scattered on the ground for them. 

I love watching my children gather the eggs. 

I love watching them wash them and put them away.

I love the care that they are showing for these amazing creatures who feed us.

The goats all come running when I step outside too. The know that there is a hand to scratch behind the ears, even if the hand holds no food.:o) Kiska walks with them all around the pasture as they browse for the next tasty nibble.

I love that my children help me mix their feed.

I love that the children enjoy watching me milk.

I love that my older two can already hand milk our goats just like me....it

makes me feel connected to the generations before me who might send the older child out to collect the milk for the day.

I love that we know EXACTLY where our milk comes from.

Fresh Milled Organic Flour Soaking for Tomorrow's Bread

I've been reading about soaking grains for several months now. I just hadn't managed to incorporate it into our day. I don't know why, because now that I've started I see how simple it is.

I just measure out the flour I need, add the water, add the acid, place a lid on it and let it sit until I'm ready the next day.

I decide what I want to bake the next day......

Grind up the amount of flour I need....

Place the appropriate amounts of flour into each container.....

And then the next day I just crack it open, give it a stir, add my final ingredients and finish out the recipe.

Voila! Bread, muffins, pancakes, and just about anything else I can dream up.

 

This made the whole pancake process a THOUSAND times easier. I don't know why I hate to make pancakes in the morning, but I do. With this process I could see myself serving pancakes often with NO problem.

I just toss a few eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in and we are cookin' pancakes a few moments later.

Maybe it's because we don't have to clean up the inevitable flour mess......?

Oh well, it really doesn't matter.:o)

Everyone but Ronan liked the pancakes. I'm going to try using Lemon juice as my acid instead of vinegar and see how that goes.

I've also made the move to Real Salt, and we're LOVIN' IT! 

It has an almost sweet taste to it. Yum.

Soaking Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a Ronan favorite. I'm hoping that he'll like the soaked oats too. But even if he doesn't like them soaked I'm okay with this meal. It packs a punch.

It contains Organic Whole Oats, Raw Butter, Raw Milk, Real Salt, Organic Maple Syrup, and Fresh Grated Organic Cinnamon.

He's happy, and I'm happy.

This Sweet Little Guy is one of the Reasons that Real Food is so important.

All Soap is NOT Created Equal

First Batch of Goat's Milk Soap

Wow, have I learned a lot about soap!!!

I started looking for recipes and learning about soapmaking a few weeks ago. In that time I have read thousands of recipes, discovered the differences in oils, and uncovered the fact that I need to add soap to my list of things I question.

Actually, I've always questioned my soap. I've always looked for and bought handcrafted soaps. I used to make my own melt and pour glycerin until I gave up. 

Why did I give it up?

Because I hate glycerin soap. :o)

I figured that using a soap I hated just because I made it wasn't what I was going for.

I've been buying a soap from the health food store and I assumed it was a great handcrafted product.

And it might be.

But how do I know?

There is no ingredient list.

I didn't look up their philosophy until I sat down to write this post.

As I've looked at recipes on sites that I used to think had great soap I became disappointed.

A goat milk soap that is made with lard and two tablespoons of powdered goat's milk?!! 

Really?!

Not that I have anything against the lard on the one hand....it just wasn't what I was expecting.

But powdered goat's milk?

And just a couple of tablespoons?

 How can you call that goat's milk soap?

My soap making research has been very informative. I will never buy soap again without know exactly what's in it and why.

Not that I'll ever have to BUY soap again.

I am armed with the knowledge.

I am armed with the equipment.

I am armed with the Goats.

Heh, that's a statement you don't hear every day.

Armed with Goats.

Heh.

I am happy that the soap that my children will use from now on is made in our home...

with raw milk from our goats....

 the finest oils I can find....

And as much of their Mama's Love as I can fit into each bar.

Hay Delivery

Tyler and Ronan waiting to unload the hay.

Kissy does the Driving.

Tyler has way too much fun tossing bales off.

Ronan has to work pretty hard to get his to tumble...

Once they do finally fall, the satisfaction is obvious.

I'm grateful for Hooligan boys who will stack my hay.:o)

Then they load up with Daddy to visit the Frogs.

Because the dinner plate sized Papa Frog is not to be missed.

Scenes from Fence Building

Ready to Stretch

 

 Securing the end

 Gittin'  'er Started.

 Gotta Move this outta tha way.

 Now she'll go.

 All it takes is a heavy truck and a come-a-long.

 Well, that and a little back and forth to check,

and, perhaps, just a bit of perseverance.

Thank you Holliday Fencing! 

The Girl's are Lovin' their new space.:o)

The Farm Store Part 1

Concrete is Poured!

 It is amazing how surreal it feels when lifelong dreams start to come true.

I discovered Waldorf Education back in 2001 and immediately fell in love with the philosophy, the warmth, and the lovely toys. Back then there were no internet stores that you could buy Waldorf Inspired toys from. There were a few folks on Ebay selling dolls. Etsy either didn't exist or was in it's infancy and I was desperate to find these lovely natural things to give my children. I was also searching for natural and organic food sources and failing miserably. Farmer's Market's weren't in the news in my area. They weren't even available. No one knew that they should eat locally.

My discovery of natural living and Waldorf Ed happened because of Auriana's reaction to her two month shots. When she got her shots is when my whole world changed. She developed severe asthma. She had violent reactions to anything that had chemicals in it. She couldn't take traditional medicine without an asthma attack. She couldn't go into stores without an attack, because of the chemical cleaners that are used. She couldn't be around plastic of any sort. Including clothes.

These were all things I learned over those terrifying few months from discovery to when I found the ways to control her condition. We made at least one ER visit a week with a blue lipped under 6 month old. She couldn't lay down to sleep, so she slept on my chest while I sat up in an arm chair. It was so, so hard. 

But it got better. We got rid of every thing that was plastic. I learned all about herbal medicine and natural body care. I worked hard to eliminate all the toxic things from our lives that I could find. 

And I learned that it's almost an impossible task in this modern world.

It's been a ten year journey. I've learned what things carry chemicals and what don't. I've learned how to support my children's immune systems. I spend most of my time trying to balance our life between my ideal and what we can afford. 

It's long been my dream to be able to live off of our land. 

To eat only what we grow. 

To have absolute control over the quality of our food.

To have artistic control over the yarn I use.

To teach my children the importance of living this life.

It's a lot harder to live than it sounds. You really have to work at it and be constantly aware. You have to have a strong vision and know how to work toward it.

This Farm Store is a beginning for us, we want to make a place where people can come and experience Farm Life when they pick up their food. We want to have a place where someone can buy a Family milk goat AND learn how easy it is to milk her and make their OWN real food.....right in their back yard.

A place where children can see what Free Range should look like....Where folks can learn about natural farming practices and why you should question every aspect of where your food comes from.....and where family's can come to enjoy a bit of traditional living....and hopefully catch the pioneer spirit.

That's where America needs to head, I think. Back to the Pioneer Attitude. We need to blaze new trails again. We need to grow our own food. Even if it's one tomato plant placed in a flower bed....or a planter of herbs in a window. 

This is today's Revolution.

We deserve healthy chemical free lives. 

Our great grandchildren deserve to inherit a healthy planet and it's going to take all of us to ensure that they have anything left.

I love that we are going to be available to help others on their journey to Real Food.

I love that my children will have a definite hand in the production of what makes it to our table.

I love that they will grow up knowing what it takes to make food happen.

And I especially love that we will be one less factory farm.

Be the change that you want to see in the world.

Become a part of the Revolution.

That's finally something that I am able to do.

These sweet babies are the Future of our Farm.

And we love them for it.

 

Surprises

Our "Sweet Baby"

This is Sweet Baby. She's a tiny little thing. A pygmy goat, most likely, although she might have Nigerian Dwarf background. We got her for $20 off of craigslist last October. The goats I had been looking at buying were in the $400-$700 range....and since I'd never owned goats before....I thought we should "experiment" with something a little less expensive.

She's always been a total doll. The nicest, gentlest goat you could ever meet. It's adorable how she and Kiska get along. She's a goat that is JUST Kissy's size. Her back barely comes up to my knee.:o)

When we bought her we were told she was around 4 months pregnant and that she should have her kids sometime in December. She never did, and I figured I'd been "swindled" which wasn't that big a deal since she'd only cost $20. 

We all went our merry ways, playing and loving, and planning on the Nubians coming next month. Then, two days ago, the children walked out to pet the sheep and goat and found 3 dead baby goats on the ground. 

I was devastated. Not that I could show that I was to the 5 children who were looking to me for how to handle this tragedy.

I did my best to be matter of fact about it. Sometimes life is harsh. Sometimes it's 25 degrees when babies are born and they can't survive those temperatures. As we cleaned up the pen and took care of the sweet little babies I explained my theories on breeding times and kidding pen requirements. I don't think there is a better moment to learn such things than when the consequences of bad choices is so obvious.

They left the experience with knowledge and complete confidence that the next time would be better.

A good attitude for farm children to have. I was proud of them. 

Then we have to get back to me. I was so sick. I kept going over and over the things I should have noticed, the things that I should have done differently. I was also worried about Sweet Baby. I had no idea what to do. With all of the animals I've had and bred over the years....I've never had a goat, and I've never had a goat who lost her babies. Since I wasn't there I didn't know what exactly HAD happened and I was unsure of what....if anything....I needed to do for her.

So I called Paula, the nice lady who we are getting the nubians from, and asked her.

She said, "Have you milked her yet?"  

"Huh? Can I? Are you supposed to..."

"Yes, Wendi. I always remove the kids from my milkers and bottle feed them. The mama thinks that you are her kids and accepts you better."

Oh. I didn't think about that.

(I would like to point out here, that it doesn't seem to matter how much you read about a subject. Until you're in the thick of it, learning just doesn't occur. I must have read a zillion books and websites about goats and milking and breeding and on and on.....and I couldn't remember any of it. I don't know if that's just me, or if it's just me and my sorrow of the moment, or what. But I couldn't remember a thing I had read.)

So our Raw Milk from just outside our door journey has begun. A sad beginning, to be sure. But a beginning.

So far things are going good. 

We have a milking shed going up, and Scott is working on building us a milk stand. 

Right now it's kinda tricky. 

But possible.

A lot more possible than I had thought.

And that is something else that I'm happy to be teaching my children.

Goats and Kids

Kissy and Ronan meet some of our goats.

The dog has to get in on the action too.

Today Kiska and Ronan got to meet the goats who will be joining our Farm next month. They were very excited and had a great time petting the goats and watching the kids antics.

I jumped on the Raw Milk wagon a few years ago. When I did, I was delighted to find a source that was only a few miles away from my house. It was wonderful to know that I was providing the hooligans with such lovely food. 

Then we moved here to Wichita Falls. Because of all the laws that Texas has regulating the sale of Raw Milk the dairies are few and far between. If we want to drink Raw Milk here we have to drive 120 miles to pick it up. Then we have to pay 8 dollars a gallon.

I don't begrudge them the 8 dollars. It's just that the 5 gallons of milk my family can consume a week adds up pretty quick. Especially if you start factoring in gas money and my time. YIKES!

I didn't really worry for too long. It isn't in my nature. I found a solution within a couple of days. 

Dairy Goats.

I'd wanted to produce our own milk, butter, yogurt, and cheese for a long time but was waiting until we moved out to the Farm. Then a lady here was having to sell her goats and I started doing a lot of research.  After a few sample gallons that proved to my family that goat's milk tasted no different than cow's milk I was hooked.

While I was obtaining one of those sample gallons I met an awesome lady in the Wichita Mountains who has a lovely herd of Nubians. She was looking for some help around her place. We were looking for a way to afford goats. We could afford the goats, or we could afford the fencing and buildings. But not both, at least, not this year. 

This turned into a beneficial arrangement where we get to work and be paid in GOATS!

So once a week Tyler and I head to the mountains and clean goat pens, sheds, and yards. Auriana keeps the baby's entertained, and sometimes runs the wheelbarrow for us. It's a pretty sweet arrangement.  One that will pay off for years to come.:o)

Kid and kid.

A Happy Sight.